This invention relates to dividers for cartons and, more specifically, it relates to a unique one-piece, H-shaped divider which incorporates projections which are capable of separating the carton into six compartments.
Dividers of various sizes and shapes have long been used to form cells or compartments within a carton for separating and cushioning the articles being packaged in the carton. An H-shaped divider pad has become popular for use in dividing a carton into two small and two large compartments, the two small compartments being located on the interior of the H and the two large compartments being formed exterior of the H when such a divider pad is positioned within a carton. A modification of the H-shaped divider pad, sometimes referred to as a "special H", has been utilized more recently in the packaging trade. The special H incorporates folded flaps on the ends of each of the four leg panels of the H which are folded to a position 90.degree. relative to the leg members and are utilized to position or center the H-shaped divider within a carton. However, such H-shaped or special H dividers have a drawback in that they divide the carton into only four compartments, two small cells in the middle of the carton and two large cells along the outside edges of the H.
To date, when it is desired to divide a carton into more than four individual, equal-sized compartments, it has been necessary to utilize a multi-piece criss-cross divider. Such multi-piece dividers are considerably more expensive to handle and assemble and more difficult to utilize than is a one-piece divider. Thus, there has been a long felt need in the corrugated paperboard packaging industry for a one-piece carton divider which is suitable for dividing a carton into six equal sized compartments or cells.